Taking Up Space On and Off Of The Canvas
By Grace Elizabeth Hackney
While Black people have been historically excluded from the art world and have built their own spaces through historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other avenues, many of the most popular national museums have recently had exhibits that celebrate Black art.
The Whitney Museum, known for its collection of 20th century American art and the Whitney Annual competition that is now held biannually, features an exhibition about the renowned Black dance company: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
When the Whitney annual competition started in 1932– a year after the museum's founding– one group was excluded: Black Americans and their Black American art.
“There are historic photographs of people like Benny Andrews, Faith Ringgold, and Norman Lewis protesting in front of either the Whitney or the MET [Metropolitan Museum of Art]” said Dr. Cheryl Finley, Integral Director of the Atlanta University Center Art Collective and art history professor at Spelman College, giving examples of the history of Black activism against racism in the art world.
“They [national museums] would acquire work by a Black artist then they would tuck it away, like check a box and keep moving,” Finley said.
The exclusion continued into the 1970s and the impact is still apparent today.
“The Whitney acquired the work of Malcolm Bailey,” Finley said. “They stuffed that in the coffers.” The untitled work was finally featured in 2015.
While major museums were shunning Black artists, HBCUs were establishing spaces dedicated to showcasing Black art and culture. Today, even as national institutions have begun to display Black-centered exhibits, HBCU museums continue to preserve and share an artistic lineage that has been underrepresented in mainstream art spaces.
Finley studied African American art history and received her PhD from Yale. She said she was not fully aware of the Malcolm Bailey piece that was hidden away at the Whitney for decades.
The untitled 1969 work by Bailey is now featured on the cover of Finley's book, “Committed to Memory: The Art of The Slave Ship Icon.”
The Whitney Museum, known for its collection of 20th century American art and the Whitney Annual competition that is now held biannually, features an exhibition about the renowned Black dance company: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
When the Whitney annual competition started in 1932– a year after the museum's founding– one group was excluded: Black Americans and their Black American art.
“There are historic photographs of people like Benny Andrews, Faith Ringgold, and Norman Lewis protesting in front of either the Whitney or the MET [Metropolitan Museum of Art]” said Dr. Cheryl Finley, Integral Director of the Atlanta University Center Art Collective and art history professor at Spelman College, giving examples of the history of Black activism against racism in the art world.
“They [national museums] would acquire work by a Black artist then they would tuck it away, like check a box and keep moving,” Finley said.
The exclusion continued into the 1970s and the impact is still apparent today.
“The Whitney acquired the work of Malcolm Bailey,” Finley said. “They stuffed that in the coffers.” The untitled work was finally featured in 2015.
While major museums were shunning Black artists, HBCUs were establishing spaces dedicated to showcasing Black art and culture. Today, even as national institutions have begun to display Black-centered exhibits, HBCU museums continue to preserve and share an artistic lineage that has been underrepresented in mainstream art spaces.
Finley studied African American art history and received her PhD from Yale. She said she was not fully aware of the Malcolm Bailey piece that was hidden away at the Whitney for decades.
The untitled 1969 work by Bailey is now featured on the cover of Finley's book, “Committed to Memory: The Art of The Slave Ship Icon.”
Unitiled, 1969, by Malcolm Bailey, courtesty of the Whitney Museum
Image of The Art of the Negro: Artists (Study), ca. 1950-51 by Hale Woodruff at the Metropolitain Musuem of Art, photo by Grace Elizabeth Hackney
In 1942, Black American Artist, Hale Woodruff, established the Atlanta University Annuals, featuring Black artists until 1970.
The juried competition started at Atlanta University and Spelman college and established the first art departments at an HBCU, becoming a model for art education and practice, according to the Atlanta University Center.
This art competition featured local and national Black artists, as well as artists from the Black diaspora.
“It was a model exercised in the role of activism, to be able to say ‘you know what, I'm [Woodruff] a Black man, I’m an accomplished artist… but I can’t exhibit my work in major museum, I can’t exhibit my work in major galleries, so therefore I’m going to create the Atlanta Annuals’ and he did,” said Finley.
This art competition featured local and national Black artists, as well as artists from the Black diaspora.
“It was a model exercised in the role of activism, to be able to say ‘you know what, I'm [Woodruff] a Black man, I’m an accomplished artist… but I can’t exhibit my work in major museum, I can’t exhibit my work in major galleries, so therefore I’m going to create the Atlanta Annuals’ and he did,” said Finley.
Some of the works showcased in the Atlanta Annuals now fill the vast art collections of Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.
The oldest African American museum was founded in 1868 at Hampton University.
The museum's collection includes works by notable artists, including Henry O. Tanner, John T. Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Samella Lewis, and Romare Bearden.
It includes “The Banjo Lesson,” one of its first acquired works by Tanner in 1894.
Today, the collection has over 1,500 pieces and is “one of the largest and strongest collections of African American art in the world,” according to the university museum’s website.
Four pieces from the museum’s collection were featured in an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism", along with other pieces from different HBCUs like Howard University and Clark Atlanta University.
The oldest African American museum was founded in 1868 at Hampton University.
The museum's collection includes works by notable artists, including Henry O. Tanner, John T. Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Samella Lewis, and Romare Bearden.
It includes “The Banjo Lesson,” one of its first acquired works by Tanner in 1894.
Today, the collection has over 1,500 pieces and is “one of the largest and strongest collections of African American art in the world,” according to the university museum’s website.
Four pieces from the museum’s collection were featured in an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism", along with other pieces from different HBCUs like Howard University and Clark Atlanta University.
Carnival, 1937, by Archibald J. Motley Jr., at the Metropolitian Museum of Art, courtesy of the Howard University Musuem, photo by Grace Elizabeth Hackney
Woman in Blue, 1943, by William H. Johnson, at the Metropolitian Museum of Art, courtesy of the Clark Atlanta University Musuem, photo by Grace Elizabeth Hackney
Jitterbugs V, ca. 1941-1942, by William H. Johnson., at the Metropolitian Museum of Art, courtesy of the Hampton University Musuem, photo by Grace Elizabeth Hackney
“I think the act of wanting to have a museum on a campus for young Black women is a really important form of activism,” said Finley of Spelman University’s collection. “Having those works of art there to be in conversation with disciplines I think is an important act.”
There are many roles in the art world that are integral to the running of a museum, as well as preserving history and maintaining cultural sensitivity.
“Where underrepresentation in the larger arts ecosystem is concerned,”said Finley. “I can count on two hands the number of Black conservators in the world. That’s not cool.”
A conservator “saves our cultural heritage physically. They are unique in the wider preservation field for the particular expert hands-on technical and decision-making skills they bring to preserving and caring for and our tangible history,” according to the American Institute of Conservation.
Conservation not only refers to visual art pieces, but also other tangible items like furniture, literature, and even clothing.
“Initially the initiative was that we [the Black arts community] need more curators, we need more people to tell our story, but… we also need the registrars, we need the conservators, we need the preparators,” Finley stated.
There are many roles in the art world that are integral to the running of a museum, as well as preserving history and maintaining cultural sensitivity.
“Where underrepresentation in the larger arts ecosystem is concerned,”said Finley. “I can count on two hands the number of Black conservators in the world. That’s not cool.”
A conservator “saves our cultural heritage physically. They are unique in the wider preservation field for the particular expert hands-on technical and decision-making skills they bring to preserving and caring for and our tangible history,” according to the American Institute of Conservation.
Conservation not only refers to visual art pieces, but also other tangible items like furniture, literature, and even clothing.
“Initially the initiative was that we [the Black arts community] need more curators, we need more people to tell our story, but… we also need the registrars, we need the conservators, we need the preparators,” Finley stated.
Another role that is integral to a museum is an archivist.
“I would say an archivist is a person who preserves and shares history. I think formally, yes there is training… But I also think archivists are just simply our mothers and grandmothers who have 5,000 photo albums and have labeled every single thing, and you can go back and trace and say, ‘Where did this come from? I know where it came from,’” said museum studies masters student and archivist, Asha Abdul-Mujeeb. “I think it's the same thing, just in a different way.”
Mujeeb is an archivist and curatorial intern at the Langston Golf Course. Langston “is the first federally built golf course for African Americans in Washington, DC.” she said.
This internship, first of its kind at Langston, works to preserve the history of the golf course and the stories of longtime members.
“If a kid wanted to come in and write a paper for their class on Langston Golf Course. They would not be able to do that because there's no information, which is why it's important that we have an archive with all of our historical documents so they can come and have access to it and then have that knowledge,” said Mujeeb, who is working to create a digital archive of the historic golf course.
When speaking to how important archival roles are, Mujeeb explained how archivists ensure “that the information you're reading is actually correct.” Museums are holders of history; They use archives to tell stories and make sure the correct information is shared.
Vital to conserving what has been historically excluded, Black female archivists are of further importance because Black stories have been historically excluded from mainstream museums.
“My unique experience, while it can sometimes be traumatic, makes me better at my job. It makes me ask the questions no one is asking. It makes me see the perspectives, the views that might be missing, because my experience is often missing,” said Mujeeb.
“I'm not saying that I think it should only be Black curators working with Black artists, I'm saying there always needs to be a black person in the room, and in that room, they actually need to have the power to make decisions about something.”
Mujeeb is the only Black woman in her masters class at George Washington University, but interest in the training is growing. The class immediately after Mujeeb includes eight Black women, she shared.
Mujeeb carved out her own space at the Langston Golf Course and convinced its heads to establish the first intern role of its kind, all while in school for her masters degree with the goal of being a contracted archivist and curator to different institutions.
“It's like, when you get into this field as a Black person and as a woman, it's so hard. You're trying to create space, but it's so hard to create space because you're trying to maintain your own space,” Mujeeb said.
Mujeeb is an archivist and curatorial intern at the Langston Golf Course. Langston “is the first federally built golf course for African Americans in Washington, DC.” she said.
This internship, first of its kind at Langston, works to preserve the history of the golf course and the stories of longtime members.
“If a kid wanted to come in and write a paper for their class on Langston Golf Course. They would not be able to do that because there's no information, which is why it's important that we have an archive with all of our historical documents so they can come and have access to it and then have that knowledge,” said Mujeeb, who is working to create a digital archive of the historic golf course.
When speaking to how important archival roles are, Mujeeb explained how archivists ensure “that the information you're reading is actually correct.” Museums are holders of history; They use archives to tell stories and make sure the correct information is shared.
Vital to conserving what has been historically excluded, Black female archivists are of further importance because Black stories have been historically excluded from mainstream museums.
“My unique experience, while it can sometimes be traumatic, makes me better at my job. It makes me ask the questions no one is asking. It makes me see the perspectives, the views that might be missing, because my experience is often missing,” said Mujeeb.
“I'm not saying that I think it should only be Black curators working with Black artists, I'm saying there always needs to be a black person in the room, and in that room, they actually need to have the power to make decisions about something.”
Mujeeb is the only Black woman in her masters class at George Washington University, but interest in the training is growing. The class immediately after Mujeeb includes eight Black women, she shared.
Mujeeb carved out her own space at the Langston Golf Course and convinced its heads to establish the first intern role of its kind, all while in school for her masters degree with the goal of being a contracted archivist and curator to different institutions.
“It's like, when you get into this field as a Black person and as a woman, it's so hard. You're trying to create space, but it's so hard to create space because you're trying to maintain your own space,” Mujeeb said.
Mariane Ibrahim founded the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery and created space for Black artists and other artists of color to be showcased.
The Black woman owned gallery is approaching its 15 year anniversay and has locations in three cities: Chicago, Paris, and Mexico City.
Ibrahim’s work is “paramount,” said Clotilde Jimenez, a mixed media artist who is managed by Ibrahim and has known her for years. “Her job is to protect her artists.”
While some artists of color worry about being taken advantage of by galleries that have not always been welcoming to Black artists, Ibrahim provides artist with all that they need so “the artist can just make the work not have to worry ‘am I getting cheated here?’’ said Jimenez.
“Nobody gave me a chance. I reached out to many galleries and institutions, and they ignored me, or just flat out said ‘no’.”
Jimenez’s career has been fruitful under the management of the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery.
The mixed media artist created official posters for the Paris Olympics in summer 2024 and recently created an opera which debuted in Mexico City in November.
Ibrahim’s work is “paramount,” said Clotilde Jimenez, a mixed media artist who is managed by Ibrahim and has known her for years. “Her job is to protect her artists.”
While some artists of color worry about being taken advantage of by galleries that have not always been welcoming to Black artists, Ibrahim provides artist with all that they need so “the artist can just make the work not have to worry ‘am I getting cheated here?’’ said Jimenez.
“Nobody gave me a chance. I reached out to many galleries and institutions, and they ignored me, or just flat out said ‘no’.”
Jimenez’s career has been fruitful under the management of the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery.
The mixed media artist created official posters for the Paris Olympics in summer 2024 and recently created an opera which debuted in Mexico City in November.
"She's [Ibrahim] always challenging the norms of the art world," said the director of the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in Chicago, Emma Mckee.
Mckee has been working with Ibrahim since the gallery's inception.
"I think she [Ibrahim] doesn't want these artists to just be presented in the context of other black artists. It's important for them to have their own space and to be that's not the identity of the practice, right? And I think that's creating a more inclusive art scene," said Mckee when speaking on representing Black artists, along with artists of many different races.
"There shouldn't be this divide of having just a Black art scene," said Mckee. "Black artists are within the whole entire ecosystem of the art world, and it's very important for them to be. I think that just changing the psychology around that has been really important for us [The Mariane Ibrahim Gallery]."
To the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Black art being included in the broader art landscape is a given. The gallery employs that mindset instead of separating Black artists and Black art into its own catergory.
"We are operating for our artists and in the best way that we think, and so we do a lot of things that other galleries don't. And so we're always kind of challenging the quote, unquote norm, and also just challenging the ecosystem to be better and to be, you know, inclusive, to be supportive, to also be healthy," said Mckee.
Mckee has been working with Ibrahim since the gallery's inception.
"I think she [Ibrahim] doesn't want these artists to just be presented in the context of other black artists. It's important for them to have their own space and to be that's not the identity of the practice, right? And I think that's creating a more inclusive art scene," said Mckee when speaking on representing Black artists, along with artists of many different races.
"There shouldn't be this divide of having just a Black art scene," said Mckee. "Black artists are within the whole entire ecosystem of the art world, and it's very important for them to be. I think that just changing the psychology around that has been really important for us [The Mariane Ibrahim Gallery]."
To the Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Black art being included in the broader art landscape is a given. The gallery employs that mindset instead of separating Black artists and Black art into its own catergory.
"We are operating for our artists and in the best way that we think, and so we do a lot of things that other galleries don't. And so we're always kind of challenging the quote, unquote norm, and also just challenging the ecosystem to be better and to be, you know, inclusive, to be supportive, to also be healthy," said Mckee.
All About Love Exhibit at The Barnes Foundation, photo by Grace Elizabeth Hackney
In recent years, mainstream museums have celebrated Black art through special exhibitions.
The Harlem Renaissance and TransAtlantic Modernism Exhibit took place at Metropolitan Museum of Art this past summer.
Currently there’s Edges of Ailey at the Whitney Museum, All About Love featuring work by Mickalene Thomas at The Barnes Foundation, HBCU art pieces on display at the Brooklyn museum, and most recently the The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.